The parish of Linslade has left the Oxford Diocese and moved over to St Albans in the first such ‘transfer’ to be carried out in 36 years.
The move was requested by the PCC. Boundary changes in the 1960s split the town of Linslade in half – with Linslade St Barnabas and the old church of St Mary’s in the Oxford diocese, while the other churches and parishes fell into St Albans.
Parishioners had long felt the boundaries were too artificially drawn.
Churchwarden Nicholas Moore said: ‘We felt we were in the same Christian family as other churches in Linslade but separated by this artificial boundary.’
The parochial church council (PCC) passed a resolution a year ago to petition the Church Commissioners to allow them to join St Albans.
The Church Commissioners did ask for any objections but there weren’t any, said Mr Moore, though many were sad to leave friends in the Oxford Diocese, and particularly the Mursley deanery.
The new priest of St Barnabas is due to be licensed in May – Bishop Alan will begin the service, before he hands over, symbolically, to the Bishop of Bedfordshire and the Lord Bishop of St Albans.
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